A Christmas of Memories
by Hoarse Swan
Summary: Dark and depressing. you have been forewarned. Harry's brooding and comes across some memories. Please read and review. It is A LOT better than it sounds
1. Default Chapter

A/N:  This is kind of sad in the beginning but it gets sort of happier at the very end.  Hope you like.  (I will make an alternate ending.  It'll be in another chapter.)

Disclaimer:  The characters belong to J.K. Rowling and the plot belongs to me.  So there.

*~*~*~*

            House after house after house went by.  And in every one of them stood a Christmas tree, their lights twinkling merrily.  In every one of those houses there was a family that loved each other to no end.  But Harry Potter wasn't in one of those houses.  He was out walking again.

            The cold air bit at his hands and face.  He walked slowly trough the streets, looking longingly at the houses that held loving families.  Harry didn't have a family.  All the Weasleys were dead, Sirius and Lupin were dead, and Neville Longbotton was dead.  Hermione Granger?  She had disappeared shortly after they graduated from Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry 10 years ago.  So Harry was alone in this world, on Christmas, for the first time in 17 years.

            He sat down on a park bench and starred at the snow absently.  He thought about how Neville had thrown his life to the sea, jumping from a high cliff, how he got there too late to stop him.  He thought about how after the last Weasley died, Ron, he had killed everything within a ten foot radius of himself including Lord Voldemort.  And he thought about how Hermione had left, her last words being, "Never forget me, Harry."  And he thought about how he had promised that he never would.

*~*Flashback*~*

_            Harry sped towards the overlook.  Neville had said he would be there to commit suicide tonight.  Harry had to stop him._

_            He pushed the gas pedal even harder with his foot, but his car was going as fast as it could.  "Come on," Harry moaned._

_            Harry screeched to a stop and jumped out of the car, screaming "Neville, no!"  But it was too late._

_            Neville jumped off the cliff, and as he fell, he screamed, "GOODBYE!!"_

_            It started to rain just then.  Harry sank to the ground where Neville had been seconds before.  He cried long and hard before shakily picking himself up and driving slowly home._

*~*End Flashback*~*

            "Goodbye," a voice said above him.  Harry looked up, a little delusional.  There was nothing there.  He had to blink hard to keep the tears from leaking out of his eyes.

            "Goodbye, Neville," he whispered.

*~*Flashback*~*

            _"Harry, look out!"  Ron screamed before bulldozing him off his feet and took the curse that was meant for Harry._

_            "Ron, no!"  Harry yelled, a tear leaking from his eye._

_            "Goodbye, Harry," Ron croaked.  His eyes fluttered shut and he sighed his last sigh._

_            "Rest in peace, Ron," Harry said._

_            Then, anger overcame his sorrow and Harry stood, trembling and uttered a curse so powerful that it wiped out every thing within a ten foot radius of himself.  Everyone but Lord Voldemort died quietly.  Voldemort gave one last, bloodcurdling scream before dropping slowly to the ground, where he burst into flames._

_            Harry grabbed Ron's lifeless body and apparated quickly._

_            Ron's wife, Lavender, and baby daughter, Rose, had died the day before.  Rose had been due that day, but the umbilical chord had wrapped around her neck, suffocating her.  Lavender had died shortly after._

_            The doctors removed Rose from Lavender's belly but it was too late.  Ron was devastated. _

_            A week later was the funeral.  Ron had been the last Weasley standing, but now, he was gone._

_            Harry had him dressed in the tux he got married in, Lavender in her wedding dress, and Rose in a miniscule flower girl dress.  He had them all in the same coffin, Ron's arm around Lavender's shoulders and her holding baby Rose._

_            Harry was the only one at the funeral.  Who else was there?  Everyone else was gone._

*~*End Flashback*~*

            "Goodbye, Harry," a voice whispered.  Harry looked up again, still delusional.  Nothing was there.  Tears leaked from his eyes and fell to the snow.

            "Rest in peace, Ron," Harry said quietly to himself.  "Rest in peace."

*~*Flashback*~*

            _It was raining.  Harry sat in the kitchen of the Burrow, drinking tea. _

_            There was a knock at the door.  Harry stood and answered it._

_            "Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, a smile lighting up his face for the first time in months.  "Come in, I was just having some—"_

_            "I can't, Harry.  I'm in a hurry," Hermione said._

_            "Why? Where are you going?  What are you doing here if you're in a hurry?"  Harry asked, the smile leaving twice as quickly as it had come._

_            "I can't tell you," she said.  "I came to say goodbye."_

_            "Why? Where are you going?"  Harry asked again._

_            "I said that before.  I can't tell you," she replied a little coldly._

_            There was silence for a couple seconds.  The Harry drew her into a warm embrace, tears coursing down his cheeks.  "How long?" he asked.  "When will I see you again?"_

_            "I don't know," she replied, crying as well.  She pulled back and started backing away slowly.  "Promise me something, Harry."_

_            "Anything, Hermione," he replied._

_            "Never forget me, Harry," she called, still backing up._

_            "Never, Hermione.  I'll never forget you," he shouted back.  By now, he was standing in the pouring rain, Hermione leaving him, forever._

*~*End Flashback*~*

            "Never forget me, Harry," a voice said above him.  Harry put his face in his hands.  He was so delusional that he heard Hermione's voice and felt warm hands running through his hair.  Tears flowed freely from his once bright green eyes and feel into his hands.

            "Never, Hermione.  I'll never forget you," he said aloud.

            A last hand ran through his hair and he looked up, hoping to see Hermione standing there.  No such luck.  Hermione was gone, as was everyone else.

            Harry sat for a few more minutes and just cried.  Snow swirled around him in a never-ending cycle of the seasons.

            'Twas the night before Christmas, and Harry was alone in a cold, snowy world.  


	2. Alternate Ending

A/N:  Well, here's the alternate ending that I promised you.  Enjoy and Review.

Disclaimer: See last chapter.

*~*~*~*

*~*Flashback*~*

            _It was raining.  Harry sat in the kitchen of the Burrow, drinking tea. _

_            There was a knock at the door.  Harry stood and answered it._

_            "Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, a smile lighting up his face for the first time in months.  "Come in, I was just having some—"_

_            "I can't, Harry.  I'm in a hurry," Hermione said._

_            "Why? Where are you going?  What are you doing here if you're in a hurry?"  Harry asked, the smile leaving twice as quickly as it had come._

_            "I can't tell you," she said.  "I came to say goodbye."_

_            "Why? Where are you going?"  Harry asked again._

_            "I said that before.  I can't tell you," she replied a little coldly._

_            There was silence for a couple seconds.  The Harry drew her into a warm embrace, tears coursing down his cheeks.  "How long?" he asked.  "When will I see you again?"_

_            "I don't know," she replied, crying as well.  She pulled back and started backing away slowly.  "Promise me something, Harry."_

_            "Anything, Hermione," he replied._

_            "Never forget me, Harry," she called, still backing up._

_            "Never, Hermione.  I'll never forget you," he shouted back.  By now, he was standing in the pouring rain, Hermione leaving him, forever._

*~*End Flashback*~*

            "Never forget me, Harry," a voice said above him.  Harry put his face in his hands.  He was so delusional that he heard Hermione's voice and felt warm hands running through his hair.  Tears flowed freely from his once bright green eyes and feel into his hands.

            "Never, Hermione.  I'll never forget you," he said aloud.

            "Good," the voice said.

            Harry jumped slightly and looked up.  A girl stood before him.  She looked familiar…

            "Hey, Harry.  Remember me?" the girl said.

            Harry stood up.  He towered over her by at least five inches.  

            "Hermione?" Harry asked hopefully.

            "Yes, Harry," she replied, smiling.  "I'm back."

            "For good?" Harry choked, tears still flowing down his face.

            "For good," Hermione confirmed. 

            Harry drew her into a warm, passionate embrace, and kissed her.  And so they stood, kissing in the swirling snow.


End file.
